Monday, October 15, 2012

I wanted to share this great site for people who don't have Photoshop. PicMonkey is a FREE online photo editing site and you don't even have to sign up to use it!

If you want a "clean edit" first, Stephanie showed how to do one in PicMonkey here.

First upload your photo to PicMonkey. Then click on the beaker symbol on the left (circled in red).

Now it's time to have some fun! There are some great actions to use and all of them are customizable or you can cancel the action if you decide you don't like it.

Here are some of my favorites:

"Cross Process" at 50% fade on green.

"Tranquil" at 0% fade then "Dusk" at 50% fade.

"Polaroid Film" at 65% fade then "Boost" at 20% strength.

"Focal Zoom" with circle around his face then "Time Machine" Norma at 35% fade.

"Black and White" at 0% fade , "Boost" at 50% strength and then "Urbane" at 50% fade.

It's really easy to play around with each effect and come up with a totally unique and fun picture. Make sure to hit "apply" after each edit if you like it then when you are completely done to hit "save" above your picture.

And just for fun, I used their Halloween edits to make Hudson into a zombie and me into a vampire!

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Summer has officially come to an end. And as much as I am sad that it went by so quickly, I do love the warm, vibrant colors of autumn and the rich spicy smells of pies baking and pumpkin lattes brewing! I also love the gorgeous landscapes and photographic opportunities waiting just outside my door. Today I'm sharing a few simple tips on capturing those vibrant fall colors in your photos.

1. Any day is a good day to shoot. Don't put your camera away when it's overcast or rainy. Those cloudy skies act like a giant softbox and can be great times to shoot, especially since full sun can result in colors that appear less saturated. And those rainy days are great too. The wetness and clouds can create a dramatic mood in your images. Raindrops can also create great reflections and add interest.

2. On sunny days, shoot with the sun to your back. Shooting into the sun will create haze, lower saturation and can result in dark shadows and a loss of detail.

3. Adjust your white balance. Check your settings and try different things to see what you get. You may like the result of a warmer image if you try increasing your kelvin number slightly or using the cloudy setting. Some DSLR's have mode settings for landscapes or vibrant subjects. On my Nikon there is a setting for "vivid." Check your manual if you are unsure how to change this.

5. Look for contrasting colors to make them pop. Golden leaves against a blue sky are gorgeous! Play with different color combinations by moving around to get different angles and compositions.

6. Go wide and get close. Sometimes you want a wide sweeping shot to take in a whole forest of trees, but getting close with tiny details on leaves, bark, acorns, etc. can showcase beautiful colors and patterns as well.

7. Keep an eye out for reflections. That gorgeous tapestry of leaves will reflect beautifully in calm waters. Lakes, rivers, even puddles work.